Observation

• Characteristics of Blues
• It is in both vocal and instrumental forms.
• It grew out of Negro’s work songs.
• It contains rhythmic cries.
• It has three line poetic stanzas.
• It is usually a twelve-bar musical structure.
• It usually has lowered thirds and sevenths.
• It has melancholic and soulful feeling.
• The theme is basically on love.
• It has the instruments of jazz with violin in addition.

• Characteristics of Calypso
• It is normally in  time.
• It contains syncopated notes.
• It uses instruments such as acoustic and bass guitar, trumpets, saxophones, electric guitars, drum kit and Latin American percussion.
• It often uses three-beat rhythms: two long beats followed by a short beat.
• It often uses call and responses pattern.
• It uses simple harmonic progression (primary chords: I, IV and V).
• Calypso songs consists of verse and chorus.                                                                                                 
• Characteristics of Jazz
• It uses of syncopated rhythms.
• It uses blue notes that is lowered 3rds and 7ths.
• It uses short themes which are expanded through improvisation and extemporization.
• It is essentially an instrumental music.
• It uses chord substitution to create and resolve tensions.

• Characteristics of Afrobeat
• It developed from highlife and American Jazz
• It uses of few and occasionally static chords.
• It involves chants, call and response vocals.
• It is made up of complex, interacting rhythms.
• It involves wide use of instruments: Rhythm and Bass guitars, Drum set, Saxophones, Trumpets, Trombones, Organ/keyboards, Congas.
• The texts are essentially in Pidgin English.
• It was creadted by Fela Anikulapo Kuti.

• Characteristics of Negro Spirituals
• They are mostly religious.
• Composers of Negro Spirituals were African slaves in North America.
• The texts are mostly based on biblical stories.
• The themes of spirituals are mostly on “hope for freedom”.
• They use call and response pattern.
• Their performance is associated with extensive use of hand claps and foot stamping.
• They are mostly based on pentatonic scale.